Influencer marketing takes over

This article is the first extract from our white paper ‘The key trends set to shape the digital sports industry in 2016’.

Influencer marketing is the use of trusted personalities and influential accounts as brand advocates. Influencers come in many forms, from the unofficial Facebook pages with hundreds of thousands of fans in deep debates about their sports club, to the parody Twitter accounts that post memes and funny quotes purely for entertainment value.

Influencers are a force. They are not just an additional media platform to connect with the audience, they are the only real media platform that connects.

Many smart brands have been executing strategies with influencers for almost a decade with the attempt of having an impact on engagement and conversion levels. Nike and adidas are known for their blogger outreach campaigns, sending apparel and footwear to bloggers and influencers for the amplification and abundance of ‘earned media’. These businesses recognise the ‘klout factor’ that influencers have and the opportunities for consumer engagement on a higher scale than traditional advertising.

Clever brands recognise the human element between the influencer and the consumer, which cannot be replicated in any other form of advertising and so they’ve been responsible for some of the biggest viral trends.

When KSI mentions a new football game, I have to try it. I know he won’t put his name to a game that isn’t worth it.

Real Madrid fan

Influencer marketing offers a solution to cutting through the saturated timelines to reach fans and potential customers by pushing branded messages through a trusted source.

Studies have shown that teenagers trust influencers more than the biggest celebrities in film, TV and music.

A study in 2015 of 125 marketers showed that businesses made on average $6.50 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing, making it very effective in driving tangible business value.

Unsurprisingly, the cost of using influencers is increasing. The price in 2013 for a branded Vine generating three million loops (views) was $400 compared to $10,000 to $15,000 in 2015.

With 60% of marketers set to increase their influencer marketing budget in 2016, this year looks like it will be a profitable one for influencers.